Device for the squeezing of tubes



March 3, 1959 E. FURRER '2',s15,926

DEVICE FOR THE SQUEEZING OF TUBES Filed April 8, i958 United StatesPatent "ice 7 2,875,926 DEVICE FOR THE SQUEEZING 0F TUBES Ernst l urrer,Wila, Zurich, Switzerland Application April 8, 1958, Serial No. 727,100Claims priority, application Switzerland April 15, 1957 4 Claims. (Cl.222-98) The present invention relates to a device for squeezing out thecontents of tubes containing some pasty substance such as tooth paste,condensed milk, French mustard or the like, and has the main object ofproviding a device for squeezing such tubes with little eifort to thelast drop of their contents.

With this and other objects, which will become apparent later from thisspecification, I provide a device for the squeezing of tubes comprisingin combination:

a casing forming a base for the tube to be inserted into it in thevertical position, and having two parts hinged to. one another about atransverse axis, a spring operatively biasing the said two parts apartin the rest position, a longitudinally slotted axle journalled in thesaid two parts co-axially with the said transverse axis the slot ofwhich receives the sealed flat end of the tube to be squeezed, a ratchetwheel fixed to one free end of the said axle, a driving pawl and alocking pawl each pivoted on one of the said two parts of the casingspring biased into engagement with the said ratchet wheel, andoperatively connected to the said parts of the casing in such a manneras to drive by said driving pawl the said ratchet wheel when turning thesaid parts towards one another against the spring bias thus winding thesaid tube about said slotted axle and squeezing out its contents, andlocking the said ratchet wheel by the said locking pawl, when releasingthe said two parts of the casing to move apart under their spring bias.s

These and other characteristic features of the present invention will beclearly understood from the following description of a preferredembodiment thereof given by way of example with reference to theaccompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation, partly in section, of the device accordingto the present invention,

Fig. 2 is a perspective view on a smaller scale of a general arrangementof the said device with a tube to be squeezed out by it inserted.

The device comprises a casing composed of two parts 1 and 2. These twoparts of the casing have lateral webs 1' and 2', respectively, slidableupon one another, and are pivotally mounted about a winding axle 3provided with a deep longitudinal groove 4 extending over its fulllength. On one end of the axle 3 outside the adjacent lateral outer web2' a ratchet wheel 5 is mounted, while on the other-end of the said axleoutside the other outer web 2' a securing washer (not shown) is fitted.A second axle 6 is mounted in holes 7 of the inner lateral webs 1' andpasses through slots 8 of the outer lateral webs 2' so that when turningthe parts 1 and 2 of the casing relative to one another said axle 6partakes in the movement of the part 1 of the said casing. Outside theouter lateral web 2 the axle 6 has at one end a head 9 and at the othera securing washer (not shown).

On the axle 6 two identical levers 10 are mounted, of which in Fig. 1the rear one is hidden by the forward one. The levers 10 are connectedto one another by a cross member 11 which consists in one piece with the2,875,926 Patented Mar. 3, 1959 V 2 two levers andhas a turned-uphandgrip lug 12. On top the two levers 10, 10 forming a double lever areconnected with one another by a round presser beam 13 which is parallelto the axle 6.

A strong spring 14 coiled at two points about the axle 6 and whose twohook-shaped ends 15 engage on the said levers 10 while its middleportion running perpendicular to the plane of the drawing bears at 16 ona third axle 17, tends to turn the double lever 10 in thecounterclockwise sense of Fig. 1, whereby the presser beam 13 isforcedin the direction towards the slotted winding axle 3.

On said third axle 17 fixed to the lateral webs 1 a lever 18 ispivotally mounted which has two legs 20 connected with one another by atransverse portion 19, one of these legs only being visible and bothbeing provided with holes 21 through which the axle 17 is pushed. Theforward leg 20 visible in Fig. l is provided with a lateral projection22 which protrudes outwardly through a window 23 of the adjacent lateralweb 1' and forms a locking pawl 23 at its end, co-operating with thesaid ratchet wheel 5.

On the lateral webs 2' a fourth axle 25 is fixed on which a lever 26 ispivotally mounted having two legs 28 connected with one another by atransverse portion 27, only one of which legs is visible and both beingabout the second axle 6 engages with its two ends 34 on the transverseportion 27 of the lever 26, while its middle part turned back at 35engages on the transverse portion 19 of the lever 18. The spring 33accordingly tends to turn the lever 18 in the clockwise direction, andthe lever 26 in the counterclockwise direction, so that the locking pawl24 and the driving pawl 32 are forced towards the ratchet wheel 5. Whenthe pawls 24 and 32 contact the ratchet wheel 5, the spring. 33 spreadsthe parts 1 and 2 of the casing apart.

The forward leg 20 of the lever 18 has a turned-up abutment end 36, onwhich the point 37 of the forward lever 10 abuts, when pressing in thedirection of the arrow 137 on the transverse lug 12 while holding thepart 1 of the casing by pressure in the sense of the arrow 38, both ofwhich actions can easily be performed with the thumb and forefinger ofthe same hand. By thus turning the lever 10 in the clockwise direction,the locking pawl 24 is lifted off the ratchet wheel 5 owing to theco-operation of the point 37 with the abutment end 36. At the same timethe presser beam 13 bears on an abutment 39 provided at the inside ofthe forward leg 28 of the lever 26, whereby the driving pawl 32 islifted off the said ratchet wheel 5.

The device described operates as follows:

The device is taken in one hand, so that the two parts 1 and 2 of thecasing can be readily swung towards one another in the direction of thearrows 40, 41 (Fig. 2). Then the lower end 42 of the tube 44 is insertedinto the slot 4 of the winding axle 3, and the parts 1 and 2 areintermittently pressed against one another over and over again. At eachpressing together the driving pawl 32 advances the ratchet wheel 5 onestep, which may correspond to one or more teeth of the said ratchetwheel. When the parts 1 and 2 of the casing are again spaced apart bythe spring 33, the locking pawl 24 arrests the ratchet wheel 5 so thatthe latter can turn stepwise only in the direction 43 of winding-on ofthe axle 3;. the tube thereby gets-between the axleS and the turn of theaxle 3 the positionindicated in Fig; 1 is reached.- When turning theaxle 3 further, eventually the whole of the tube 44 is squeezed out.When at any time enough of the contents have been squeezed out of thetube, the device is set up as illustratedin Fig. 2,- the casing 1, 2forming a base for the tube 44, which is held vertically in the device.

When the tube 44 has been emptied completely, one presses with twofingers on the transverse lug 12 and on the part 1 of the casing (arrows137 and 38), whereby both the pawls 24 and 32 are lifted off the ratchetwheel 5. It then suflices to pull the head of the tube 44 in order todraw its emptied body easily otf the freely rotating axle 3.

The device described is for example extraordinarily well suitable fortooth paste or French mustard containing tubes, being readily depositedon the bathroom or dinner table. The operation by one hand, which even'with the body of the tube almost completely wound-n requires very littleforce, is very simple. Obviously devices of different size will beprovided for tubes of different size, e. g. two or three sizes of thedevice for all sizes of tubes practically coming into question.

While I have described herein and illustrated in the accompanyingdrawing what may be considered a typical and particularly advantageousembodiment of my said invention, I wish it to be understood that I donot limit myself to the particular details and dimensions described andillustrated; for obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled inthe art:

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A device for the squeezing of tubes comprising in combination, acasing forming a base for the tube to be inserted therein in thevertical position, and having two parts hinged to one another about atransverse axis, a spring operatively biasing the said two parts apartin the rest position, a longitudinally slotted axle journalled in thesaid two parts co-axially with the said transverse axis the slot ofwhich receives the sealed fiat end of the tube to be squeezed, a ratchetwheel fixed to a free end of the said axle, a driving pawl and a lockingpawl each pivoted on one of the said two parts of the casingspring-biased into engagement with the 4 said ratchet Wheel, andoperatively connected to the saidparts of the casing in sucha manner asto drive by the said driving pawl the said ratchet Wheel when pivotingthe said parts towards one another about their hinge connection againstsaid spring bias thus winding the said tube about said slotted axle andsqueezing out its contents, and to lock the said ratchet Wheel by thesaid locking powl when the said two parts of; the casing are released tomove apart under their spring bias, each of the said parts of the casinghave lateral webs mutually sliding upon one another, a second axlefitted parallel to the said slotted axle into the said lateral webs of afirst of the said casing parts, and a lever pivotally mounted on thesaid second axle, a presser beam at one end of said second axle parallelto and spring biased against the said slotted axle, a third axle fittedparallel to the said slotted axle into the said lateral webs of one ofsaid casing parts and carrying the said locking pawl, a lever pivotallymounted on said third axle, a fourth axle fitted parallel to saidslotted a'xle into the lateral webs of the other of the said casingparts, the said driving pawl being pivotally mounted on the said fourthaxle.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the said spring serving forbiasing the said parts of the casing apart acts on the said lever and onthe said driving pawl so as to urge both the said driving pawl intoengagement and locking pawl with the said ratchet wheel.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the said spring biasing thesaid two casing parts apart is wound about the said second axle carryingthe lever of the said presser beam, and comprising a second spring alsowound about the said secondaxle and biasing the presser beam against thesaid slotted axle.

4. A device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the said lever of the presserbeam has a transverse lug serving as a finger grip providing for manualpivoting of said lever against the bias of the said second spring, thesaid driving pawl and locking pawl each having an abutment operativelycooperating with the said lever of the presser beam, whereby both may belifted off the said ratchet wheel when manually turning the said leverof the presser beam against its spring bias.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,542,571 Rakestraw Feb. 20, 1951

